Growing up a Vancouver Canucks fan, former Vernon resident Larry Mikalishen knows well the feeling of disappointment of his favourite National Hockey League team not winning a Stanley Cup.
It started in 1982, when the Canucks were swept in the final by the New York Islanders. Then came 1994, and a Game 7 loss to the Rangers in New York. And, of course, the Game 7 defeat at home to the Boston Bruins in 2011.
Fast forward 12 years. Mikalishen sa国际传媒� firmly ensconced in Las Vegas since the new millennium, and a seasons-ticket holder with the Vegas Golden Knights since Day 1 in 2017 sa国际传媒� is in his seats Tuesday, June 13, in row 1 of the upper level of T-Mobile Arena that he considers sa国际传媒榯he best in the house,sa国际传媒� between the two playerssa国际传媒� benches. The Golden Knights are leading the Florida Panthers 9-3 and are a minute away from winning the Stanley Cup in just their sixth year of operation.
Yousa国际传媒檇 think Mikalishen would be jumping up and down, and going nuts.
sa国际传媒淚 was in a state of, maybe a bit of shock? It wasnsa国际传媒檛 what I thought it was going to be,sa国际传媒� said Mikalishen, 61, a 1979 Vernon Senior Secondary School graduate and former lighting technician who travelled the world with various rock bands before settling in Vegas 23 years ago. He is now regional general manager of 4Wall Entertainment, a full-service lighting, video, and rigging company servicing all facets of the entertainment industry.
sa国际传媒淚 thought Isa国际传媒檇 be leaping up and down, crying and cheering. Instead, I was just sitting there, thinking, sa国际传媒業 cansa国际传媒檛 believe this just happened.sa国际传媒� I was excited and I did cheer, but it was a different feeling than I thought was going to have.sa国际传媒�
The euphoria for the Golden Knights fan set in later Tuesday evening. He couldnsa国际传媒檛 sleep, repeating in his mind, sa国际传媒榁egas Golden Knights: Stanley Cup champions. Did this really just happen?sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淗onestly, it was probably more exciting yesterday (Wednesday) because the game Tuesday was so draining, so tense,sa国际传媒� said Mikalishen. sa国际传媒淎fter years and years and years of disappointment, I got to see my team win the Stanley Cup.sa国际传媒�
When Mikalishen arrived in the desert at the start of the 21st century, hockey, he said, was almost unheard of.
Hesa国际传媒檇 go to a local watering hole, trying to find the Stanley Cup playoffs on a TV somewhere. ANY television in the joint. But no. While he could watch womensa国际传媒檚 college basketball and other NCAA sports to his heartsa国际传媒檚 content, there was nary an NHL game to be seen.
That didnsa国际传媒檛 really change until the nearby Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, and then came rumblings that the first professional sports team to be based in Las Vegas would be an NHL franchise.
Mikalishen got in on the ground floor thanks to connections with the hockey team he still skates for in Sin City.
sa国际传媒淚 was among the first 50 people for season tickets,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淭he ticket drive was run by MGM and a guy on my hockey team (which includes Canadian Football League Hall of Fame receiver Ray Elgaard of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and the former all-time penalty minutes leader with the Pittsburgh Penguins when he left the team in 1990, Rod Buskas), his wife was heading up the drive for season tickets.
sa国际传媒淚 put a $600 deposit down even before knowing the team was going to be awarded.sa国际传媒�
Mikalishen originally signed a five-year contract for his seats, then re-upped for another three years at the end of last season. In the teamsa国际传媒檚 first six years, he has attended all but a handful of regular-season and playoff games.
sa国际传媒淭he first season was amazing,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淭here were a lot of bandwagon fans who are heavily intense hockey fans. People want to grow and evolve the sport, and we welcome the band-wagoners. Go see the Vegas Golden Knights. Yousa国际传媒檒l be a fan.
sa国际传媒淚n Year 1 there were so many people who didnsa国际传媒檛 know what offside was. Now, they know the rule book inside and out.
sa国际传媒淢ost of the players, Isa国际传媒檇 never heard of and Isa国际传媒檓 a hockey fan.sa国际传媒�
Mikalishen recalls the teamsa国际传媒檚 first-ever regular-season home game. It came weeks after a mass shooting Oct. 1, 2017 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino that resulted in 58 deaths. Mikalishen had been at an exhibition game at T-Mobile that night. He missed the massacre by five minutes as he drove home past the resort following a boost to his Jeep battery, which wouldnsa国际传媒檛 start.
sa国际传媒淭he team and the city rallied together with the shootings as one,sa国际传媒� said Mikalishen. sa国际传媒淚t was the first time since I lived in Vegas that it felt like a community. The Knights were more than just a hockey team. They were part of the healing process of the city, they brought everybody together.sa国际传媒�
The inaugural season saw the Knights go all the way to the Stanley Cup final with sa国际传媒渁 bunch of misfits,sa国际传媒� a nickname bestowed upon them by the media. They would lose in five games to the Washington Capitals.
On June 13, when they won the Cup, nine original Golden Knights were still with the team, much to Mikalishensa国际传媒檚 delight. His favourite player is misfit William Karlsson.
sa国际传媒淭he team usually starts the fourth line, and when they announced sa国际传媒榮tarting on wing, Riley Smith,sa国际传媒� I thought, sa国际传媒極h, theysa国际传媒檙e starting Karlssonsa国际传媒檚 line,sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒� said Mikalishen. sa国际传媒淭hen they announced Karlsson. And Jonathan Marchessault. And then I realized they were starting the original misfits, with Shay Theodore and Brayden McNabb on defence. That was the most moving thing about Game 5. It got you right in the heart.
sa国际传媒淭hose players worked year-after-year for the team. To see them hoist the Cup was really something.sa国际传媒�
Mikalishen will watch the Golden Knights celebrate one more time with the teamsa国际传媒檚 victory parade Saturday. Then, in true, season-ticket-holder-fan fashion, he said hesa国际传媒檒l sa国际传媒渄rop a couple of thousand dollarssa国际传媒� on Knightssa国际传媒� Stanley Cup swag and gear.
sa国际传媒淵ou know, stuff Isa国际传媒檒l never wear but have to have,sa国际传媒� he laughed.
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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